We're used to everything being more expensive, but the auto industry recently reached a pretty startling figure. The average new car price in the US has hit $50,000 . That's partly down to inflation, a tricky geopolitical landscape, and microchip shortages that haven't really gone away since the pandemic. But it still doesn't make that number any easier to swallow.

 

With more people buying their cars on finance or leasing them, the actual impact is slightly mitigated, but a "new normal" has been achieved for the industry. Here are 10 cars from every corner of the market to show what an average car looks like in 2026.